The Soulful Simplicity of De Oro's Debut EP "Bleak"
“His voice is so beautiful” is the first thing my wife says anytime she hears Billy Hale perform a song, and she’s right. Although there are many talented singers out there, they rarely connect to your soul the way Billy’s voice does.
The only thing I dislike about Billy’s voice is that it hasn’t been heard and appreciated by more people. As talented as he is, the music world at large has yet to stumble upon him. This needs to change.
Those of you that are familiar with my writing and my podcast will recognize that name as the frontman for the band Brave Little Howl. Full disclosure, I have produced projects with Brave Little Howl in the past, and I think they are epic.
You can imagine my excitement when I discovered that the lead singer of one of my favorite bands was branching out as the solo act “De Oro” to record more music.
I’ve had many chats with Billy and have learned over time that he has a deep appreciation for a wide variety of music. It seems only natural that he’d have a catalog of songs that don’t quite fit the mold for a Brave Little Howl record, making a solo project almost inevitable.
With a little help from his friends, Billy has crafted a truly wonderful EP that captivates his ability to blend beautifully written and performed vocals and instruments with his seemingly innate ability for storytelling.
I once stood next to Billy while watching Brandon Padier play a solo acoustic performance. Billy made several remarks about Brandon’s guitar playing. He made it a point to explain that many people physically strike the strings too hard when they are playing solo at a live performance.
It’s a reflex to overcompensate for their nervousness. They are all alone on stage and consciously or subconsciously feel the need to be bigger and louder to grab the attention of the room.
He remarked that Brandon did the opposite. He kept the full dynamics of his playing which translated into a much more captivating performance. By performing more softly he actually commanded more attention from the audience.
I feel that same appreciation for subtlety throughout the entire listening experience of De Oro’s EP “Bleak”.
There’s no shouting, no excess drama, and no overcompensating. Billy knows the strength of his calmness and uses it to his advantage.
The delicacy and reserve used while performing on this EP creates a sound that is relaxed and easy to listen to while still remaining massively entertaining.
Typically, most listeners hear songs in different stages. On the first listen, you may only really appreciate the beat and the basic melody. Then on the second or third listen, you might learn some of the lyrics. After multiple listens, you start to hear the small intricacies of the production that often go unnoticed by a casual fan.
Billy’s writing style with De Oro has, for me at least, allowed a full experience on the first listen. The almost minimalistic approach to his songwriting allows you to fully engage with each song’s story while simultaneously experiencing the instrumental beauty. It’s as if Billy found a way to aerate his songs in a wine decanter to allow the flavor and experience of each song to reach its full aromatic potential.
There is, however, a surprising amount of variety in terms of instruments, tones, and random sounds without any single instrument or vocal part dominating the mix at any time. Everything is purposely included to serve the song and nothing more.
In truth, many of the songs have a production level that would normally turn me away in the past. I usually don’t like a lot of effects and add-ins. I don’t like one-off sounds that I know won’t be replicated live.
After multiple listens to the full EP, I have to ask myself why I’m not bothered by it this time. Am I maturing as a listener and growing to respect these subtleties in recordings, or is De Oro the first that I’ve listened to that finally does it appropriately?
Perhaps, the variety of some sounds rest easier on the ears because the other instruments rest so peacefully in more steadfast states of the song. Guitar chords quietly chug along through a song, the drum beats abandon anything that resembles flash, and the vocal melodies allow each word to burrow into your consciousness.
It becomes evident that this EP isn’t written to break down musical barriers. It isn’t written to garner fame and success. Instead, it’s written purposely to beautifully tell the stories that are housed within each song. Much like a beautiful nature scene. When you experience it, you don’t need to overanalyze it to appreciate its beauty.
So when discussing De Oro’s EP “Bleak,” I’m sad to say this entire article could’ve been summed up in a much more succinct manner.
Simply put, they’re damn good songs. Nothing more, nothing less.